Pneumatic footwear construction



Jan. 5 1926.

J. c. KELLER PNEUMATIC FOOTWEAR CONSTRUCTION Filed August 30, 1924 a 6 Ir 5 INVENTOR A (TORNEYS PatentedJan. 5, 1926. p r r U UNITED STATESPATENT orr ce.

JOHN CHARLES KELLER, OI C.' HICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF()Ihl'llsl-HALIE T FRANK B. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PNEUMATIC FOOTWEAR CONSTRUCTION.

' Application filed August 30, 1924. Serial No. 735,127.

To all'whom it may concern: This heel consists in a hollow vulcanized Beit known that I, JOHN CHARLES KEL- rubber body member 3 having a valve 4sim- LER, a citizen of the United States, and a ilar to the ordinarytype of pneumatic tire resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook valveprojected through one of its side and State of Illinois, have invented anew Walls 5. I and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Foot- This valve 4,unlike the ordinary type of wear Constructions, of which the followingvalve, however, has internal threads 6 for is a full, clear, and exactdescription. engaging with an air hose, in place of ex- My inventionrelates to improvements in ternal threadsfound on the ordinary typepneumatic footwear construction,- and it of valve. The valve 4 does notproject more 1 consists in the combinations, constructions, than afraction of an inch beyond the Wall and arrangements herein describedand 5 of the body member 3. v p claimed. The lower portion 7 of the bodymember Anobject of my invention is to provide 3 is constructed ofespecially tough vulcana devi ofth h ra t r d ibedtby means ized rubbersuitable to'resist wear by Tric- 7 of which a high degree of resiliencyis protion upon the pavement, while the upper vided for the heelrportionof the ordinary part of the body member is constructed of type of shoe.g a soft quality of rubber, highly resilient.

A further'object of my invention is to Openings 8 (see Figure 2) areprovided provide a device of the character described through the bodymember 3 by ea s f in which means is provided for varying the Wlnchrivets 9 may be employed to secure degree of resiliency of the heelportion of the body member to the sole 2 of the shoe, the shoe at willto suit the weight of the shown in Figure 1. person wearing the shoe.From the foregoing description of the .A further object of my inventionis to Various parts of the device, the operation provide a deviceof thecharacter described thereof may be readily understood. The which greatlydecreases the weight of the ordinary type of tire pump is employe'dforheel portion of the shoe, thereby decreasing inflating my improvedpneumatic heel, and fatigue-of the wearer from continued walk when theproper pressure has been attained ing or standing. My improved footwearthe shoes may be placed upon the feet of construction is especiallydesirable for perthe wearer, and inspected from time, totime sons whoare required to stand on their 'feet so as to maintain the properinflation thereduring most of the day, such as clerks, conof. The valve4 is tight and pressure ought ductors, policemen, and the like. not tovary for months of wear.

A further object of'my invention is to Dueto the extreme lightness inthe conprovide a device of the character described struction of the bodymember 3, Le, the that is extremely simple in construction, duportionthereof containing air, the person rable, and thoroughly practicalcommer- Wearing the shoe will note a marked ease cially. V with whichwalking .is accomplished, also Other objects-and advantages will appearelimination of practically all shocks and in the followingspecification, and the novel Vibrations ordinarily imparted to the feetfeatures of the invention will be particularof the .person wearing shoeswith the'ordily pointed out in the appended claim. may type of solidheel.

My invention is illustrated in' the accom- I claim:

panying drawings forming a part of this The combination with a shoehaving application, in which: g sole, of a hollow heel member secured toFigure 1 is a sectional'view of an embodisaid sole, said heel memberhaving its hotment of my invention, and tom wall constructed of a tough,vulcanized Figure 2 isa section along the line 22 material andvulcanized to the remain ng of Figure 1. portions, theremaining wallportions being 1 In-carrying out my invention I make use highlyresilient, and a valm projected 'of the ordinary type of shoe 1 having athrough one wall of said heel member, said sole 2. The solid heel,either rubber or valve being constructed to liefflush with leather,isremoved from the sole 2 and my the exterior surface of the ad acentwall. improved heel substituted therefor. JOHN CHARLES KELLER.

